Sisters in Arms
by Sgt-Carebear
Summary: Short description here, more in first chapter. Fem shep,with an OC sis shep. Follows the original plot for the most part, some changes due to OCs. CANON KNOWLEDGE ASSUMED! if you haven't played the games, do that first. this is not the place to learn the lore, it is a place to see an alternate take on the lore. Rated M for blood, gore, violence, language, etc. same as the game


**A/N: Hello everybody! As promised in the description, here is a better overview of the story you are hopefully about to read. Basically, the plot remains the same as in the games, except fem shep has a sister named Lucy. Obviously, this additional character will cause some changes to the story, so it won't be completely boring to anyone who has played the games. As I mentioned earlier, it is assumed that you know the original plot, DLCs included, if you venture beyond this point. If you are not familiar with the characters and events in the story, you WILL be confused. This story starts with the elder Shepard being proclaimed a Spectre, so the events on Eden Prime will not be written. Assume they went exactly as they did in the game, except with Geth kills also being scored by Lucy Shepard.**

 **For clarification:** _ **text in italics outside of quotes**_ **is Lucy** **'** **s thoughts. "** _ **Text in italics inside quotes"**_ **denotes emphatic speaking, often for sarcasm.** __ **Similarly, regular text inside thoughts denotes emphasis and/or sarcasm. This will be clear when it happens.**

 **Long conversations will be divided as follows:**

" **First speaker"**

" **Second speaker"**

" **First"**

" **Second** **" etc. who is speaking will either be clear from context, or will be explicitly mentioned.**

 **I own only my original characters, like Lucy. I own no part of Mass Effect, and if I did, I probably wouldn't be writing non-profit fanfictions.**

Shadow of a Hero

Alliance Navy Lieutenant Lucy Shepard felt, in her admittedly less than humble opinion, that she was always overshadowed by her older sister, Jane. While the truth of her sentiment was usually debatable, it was never more justified than now, as Jane was crowned the first human Spectre by the Citadel Council.

Sighing and turning away from the proceedings, Lucy caught sight of her reflection in a nearby plexi-glass window. _The heart of my problems,_ she surmised _, are the similarities between my and Jane's appearances._ Both sisters stood short for humans, with Lucy barely reaching five feet tall, and Jane standing at a slightly more impressive five foot four. They both had fiery red-orange hair, though Jane wore hers in a regulation-abiding, neck-length bob, and Lucy wore hers in an untamed mane reaching down to her mid-back. Both had splashings of freckles on their faces, though Lucy's were more concentrated on her cheeks and Jane's went across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. Both had heart-shaped faces, though Lucy's was slightly marred be a scar that ran across her nose from the corner of her left eye to the right edge of her mouth. The only major difference between them was their eyes: Lucy's were large, round, and bright violet; whereas Jane's were average sized and bright green.

 _We look different enough that people never confuse us for each other, but we look enough alike that they can't help but compare us. It doesn't help that everything I do, she does better. I'm an expert marksman? Well she's a great shot and can throw things with her freaking mind! I'm a great leader when it comes to small group tactics? Well let's just make Jane the Executive Officer of an entire frigate! Jane and Lucy are both N7s? Well they can't be equal, so we better make Jane a goddam Spectre!_

Jolted out of her mental rant by a hand on her shoulder, Lucy turned around to see the concerned expression of Captain Anderson, her Commanding Officer. "Everything alright, Lieutenant? I know the fighting on Eden Prime was rough. Do you need to go back to the Normandy?"

"No Sir! I just wish we could get back out there and do some good, instead of listening to the council go on and on about how great Jane—about how monumental this ceremony is. Sir."

"I understand. I'm a soldier, not a politician. But soldiers follow orders, and right now our orders are to attend this council session with the Commander."

"Understood sir. Just let me know when we've been dismissed. I'll be over here pretending to pay attention." Turning back to the window, Lucy studied her reflection once more. At long last, the council finished their speech and dismissed the elder Shepard, and by extension, everyone accompanying her.

As the group made its way back to the SSV Normandy, Jane fell into step beside her younger sister. "Hey, I noticed you were a little spaced out during the meeting. Everything alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just…"

"You're wondering why it was me again." Rather than carrying a bite of resentment for her younger sister's apparent inferiority complex, Jane's tone was that of sympathy and sisterly affection.

 _How does she do it? I'm acting like a jealous child instead of a girl proud of her sister, and_ she _feels bad for me._ "I don't want to take this away from you, sis, but it just doesn't make sense! We both fought on Eden Prime, we both hold the highest class of special warfare operators in the Alliance, and we both have stellar service records. Why you?"

"I dunno Luce. I don't think even the Council knows why they do things. But if this helps us track down Saren and the Geth, I'd sit through a hundred of those boring meetings."

"How can _you_ think that was boring!? You were just proclaimed the first human Spectre! That will be the high point of your entire career!" 

"I don't care. It's as simple as I said. All I want is to stop Saren. This doesn't change that; it just makes it easier to do the job I was already doing. Besides, they'll probably proclaim this an emergency procedure and strip my status as soon as we catch Saren."

With that, the sisters lapsed into a companionable silence as they finished the short trip back to the Alliance docks. Upon arriving, Lucy spotted Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina already waiting for them outside the Normandy's airlock. _That's odd. The Captain usually likes to be on the bridge well before departure, and we're scheduled to disembark in ten minutes. What gives?_

A quick glance at Jane showed her sister was equally perplexed. Letting the elder Shepard take the lead, as usual, Lucy stood behind her sister and to the left, closer to the airlock. From this position, she could here the imminent conversation without being expected to take part, which was exactly what Lucy wanted. True to form, Jane found a diplomatic way to ask Anderson why the hell he wasn't on the bridge for departure. _Tact is always good when dealing with one's commanding officer. I should probably get the hang of it at some point._

"Captain? Was our departure delayed?" Though the sisters' arrival seemed to interrupt a conversation between Anderson and Udina, neither man showed much irritation or concern that their words had been overheard.

"Ah, Commander and Lieutenant Shepard. No, you are still scheduled to depart shortly. However, Captain Anderson will not be joining you. He has agreed to step down as commanding officer of the Normandy—"

"WHAT!?" At this point, Lucy couldn't keep to the sidelines any longer, and interjected herself into the conversation in typical Lucy fashion: loudly and without any doubt as to who was now speaking. "But Captain, this is the biggest mission the Normandy, no, any Alliance ship will ever go on! How can you just leave us with a replacement Captain at the last minute?"

"At ease, Lieutenant. Yes, you will have a new CO. That being said, it's someone the crew already knows and trusts. Just because I'm leaving, doesn't mean I'm going to let some stranger waltz around on the finest ship in the fleet. Your sister will be the new CO." _Oh great, now she has an entire frigate to herself. Guess she needs one though. Spectres can't exactly go around answering to mere Captains._

Having mollified the younger Shepard, Anderson turned his attention to the elder, who was in turn already standing at the position of attention. "Sir! I would be honored to accept command of the Normandy, provided you allow me the selection of my Executive Officer without the Alliance brass interfering. Sir."

"Seeing as how you now answer directly to the council, I don't think the brass can do anything about your selection. Just remember, you do still represent humanity as a whole, as does everyone under your command. Try to pick someone who won't embarrass us."

"Yes sir. I already know who I want backing me up. Lucy, how would you like to be the XO of an entire frigate? Be a step up from squad tactics wouldn't it?"

 _Boy I sure hope whoever sis picks can handle the—wait WHAT?_ "Uh yes Ma'am! I'm behind you one hundred percent!" Snapping an unusually precise salute, Lucy couldn't hide the surprise, joy, and pride that her promotion incited. Realizing she now had work to do in order to get the ship moving, she added, "With you permission, I'll go oversee the final pre-flight checks and make sure Joker is ready to go, Ma'am."

With a small smile, Jane nodded and watched as her younger sister boarded the ship, her ship. Turning back to Anderson and Udina, she patiently waited for them to resume their briefing.

"Alright Shepard, we won't lie to you. Saren's long gone. Don't even bother trying to find him. But because of that audio recording Tali gave us, we know what he's looking for. You need to get to the Conduit before he does, and figure out what it does and why he wants it. You're a Spectre now, so we won't tell you how to do that, but we can offer you some advice."

"Whatever you've got for me, I'd love to hear it. I can use any leads I can get my hands on."

"Then you should start by finding Dr. Liara T'Soni, an Asari archaeologist who specializes in Protheans. She might be able to help you determine the use of the Conduit once you find it. We have reliable intel suggesting she's working on a dig somewhere in the Artemis Tau cluster, but beyond that we can't help you. We've also received reports of Geth activity on Feros and Noveria, so either of those planets could open up new leads on either Saren's whereabouts or the Conduit's."

"Understood sir, we won't let you down." Snapping a precise salute, Jane turned crisply on her heel and strode into the Normandy's airlock, eager to depart and start the hunt that would either save the galaxy or damn it.

Meanwhile, Lucy had made sure to work with an uncharacteristic efficiency in order to prepare the Normandy for its first flight under its new commanding officer. Upon catching sight of Jane approaching the cockpit's seat, Lucy and Joker hurriedly stopped whatever inappropriate conversation they had been having. Barely suppressing grins, they both saluted the commander and Lucy made the required report.

"SSV Normandy ready for departure Ma'am. All personnel on board and first duty shift is at their stations." After receiving Jane's return salute, Lucy headed towards the onboard weapons range to get in some sniping practice. Despite a session with the ship's chaplain/shrink, Sgt. Benjamin, she still blamed herself for not being able to save Cpl. Jenkins on Eden Prime.

Similarly, after having Joker lay in a course for the Artemis Tau cluster, Jane departed the bridge to retire to her cabin to write the requisite letter to Jenkins' next of kin. Like Lucy, she blamed herself for losing one of her men, to the point where she couldn't even bring herself to give the crew a motivational speech as they began their historic mission. With both Shepards in a funk, the mood on the Normandy was at an all-time low as the frigate headed towards its first destination on the quest to stop Saren.

 **A/N: This brings us to the end of the first chapter! Apologies for the lack of action, but I wanted to introduce Lucy and get this story on its feet, so to speak. I promise, there will be lots of action throughout the rest of the story. At this time, I am currently working on another story as well, so updates may be sporadic as I switch between stories. However, this story WILL reach its completion. Eventually. The more support you guys show, the faster updates will come. Hopefully. Anyways, thanks for reading! Tell your friends. All of them.**


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